WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in Congress are launching an investigation into whether top police officials in Washington, D.C., engaged in a cover-up of crime statistics to make it seem as if illegal activity in the capital city was decreasing over the last three years.
The House Oversight Committee announced on Monday it would open an inquiry into the Metropolitan Police Department and whether it deliberately manipulated data to show lower crime rates. As part of the inquiry, the panel is requesting access to all documents and materials detailing the decision-making behind the department’s crime reporting process.
“MPD has a duty under federal and local law to accurately report crime to the public,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement. “However, in May, MPD placed Third District Commander Michael Pulliam on administrative leave following allegations that he altered crime reports. Unfortunately, this practice does not appear to be isolated, nor is it a recent development.”
Comer pointed to a recent settlement that showed senior MPD officials engaged in falsifying crime statistics to show artificially lower rates. The committee chairman said a separate whistleblower had also disclosed information to lawmakers that MPD supervisors intentionally published the data by “ignoring the judgment of patrol officers who actually interviewed witnesses and collected evidence by recommending reduced charges.”
“A whistleblower with direct knowledge of internal MPD operations and crime data discussions also informed the Committee that crime statistics were allegedly manipulated on a widespread basis and at the direction of senior MPD officials,” Comer said. “According to the whistleblower, while MPD took action against a single District Commander, the issue potentially affects all seven patrol districts, as MPD leadership allegedly instructed Commanders to routinely downgrade charges to artificially lower District crime statistics.”
As part of the inquiry, the committee will seek transcribed interviews with all seven of the city’s district commanders in September and October. The commanders must also hand over all crime reports, communications between MPD leaders and city officials regarding efforts to “reclassify or amend crime reports,” and a full and unredacted copy of the settlement report alleging manipulated data.
The Deseret News contacted MPD for comment.
The investigation comes as President Donald Trump escalates his efforts to federalize the D.C. police department, issuing two executive orders on Monday to end certain local law enforcement policies and to respond to some local crimes with federal charges.
Trump has repeatedly accused the city of falsifying its data to make it appear as if crime is going down, prompting the Department of Justice to open its own investigation into the city last week.
Trump announced on Aug. 11 he would send at least 800 National Guard soldiers to the nation’s capital to crack down on what he described as “out of control” crime, particularly attacks committed by teenagers. As of Sunday, many of those soldiers are now being armed, according to the military.
The Trump administration has touted its work in the capital city so far, which it says has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests and no reported homicides in nearly two weeks.
“D.C. was one of the most violent cities in the world, but for President Trump coming in and bringing in our federal partners … we’ve got a unified force of people and law enforcement who were going into the crime-ridden areas and making a difference,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox News on Monday.
Meanwhile, only 31% of D.C. residents say crime is “extremely” or “very” serious, according to a recent Washington Post poll. Another 41% said it was “moderately” serious. More than a quarter (28%) said they found crime to be “not too” or “not at all” serious, the poll shows.
